More than 100 elected officials, business executives, journalists and other notables were nominated for consideration because of their demonstrated leadership and contributions to the enrichment and overall growth of Hispanics in Central Florida. The quarterly magazine is published by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.

Fern谩ndez moved with his family from Cuba to the United States when he was 12, and is now the highest ranking Hispanic administrator at 麻豆原创. He is responsible for the administrative oversight of the college, building new college policies and developing new programs of excellence.

He earned a doctorate at Florida State University in 1973 and came to 麻豆原创 as a visiting Spanish-language professor in 1981. He was chairman of the Foreign Language and Literature Department before he was named dean.

In addition to winning the Pegasus Professor Award, 麻豆原创鈥檚 highest honor for teaching, research and service, Fern谩ndez has written dozens of books both in English and Spanish. In 2008, President George W. Bush appointed him to the National Museum of the American Latino Commission.

In an article about him in the magazine, Fernandez compares himself to 鈥渢he first Hispanic explorers visiting the New World.鈥�

Other university-related recipients named to the magazine鈥檚 top-25 list were: 麻豆原创 alumnus Tico Perez, a member of the Board of Governors of the State University System, and Conrad Santiago, a former 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees member.

Perez, a son of Cuban immigrants, is co-founder of Edge Public Affairs and serves as national commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America.

Santiago, managing聽director of Conrad聽Santiago & Associates/Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., was a founding member and聽the first president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will be the guest speaker. An Orlando native, Dyer has served as the city鈥檚 mayor since 2003. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Civil Engineering from Brown University and received a law degree from the University of Florida.

Friday鈥檚 9 a.m. ceremony will include students from the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Health and Public Affairs, the College of Nursing, and Liberal Studies and Social Science majors through the Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies offices.

The speaker will be Tico Perez, co-founder of Edge Public Affairs and a member of the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees Florida鈥檚 state universities. He received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in Political Science from 麻豆原创 in 1983 and was student body president. He went on to earn a law degree from Georgetown University.

Graduates in Friday鈥檚 2:30 p.m. ceremony will be from the College of Education, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the College of Sciences.

The speaker will be Dede Schaffner, who is serving her third term as a member of the Seminole County School Board. As a parent volunteer, Schaffner founded Seminole County schools鈥� nationally recognized Dividends School Volunteer Program. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Elementary Education and a master鈥檚 degree in Educational Leadership from 麻豆原创.

The Arena doors will open to guests聽1 1/2 hours聽before the start of each ceremony.聽The procession of graduates will begin 20 minutes before the start of each ceremony.聽

Guests must have tickets to attend the ceremonies. Guests without tickets are welcome to view closed-circuit telecasts of the ceremonies from the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center across the street from the 麻豆原创 Arena. Broadcasts also will be posted after the ceremonies at .

The anticipated graduates include 3,712 who filed intents to receive bachelor鈥檚 degrees, 810 for master鈥檚 degrees, four for education specialist degrees and 65 for doctoral degrees.

With this week鈥檚 graduations, 麻豆原创 will have awarded more than 225,000 degrees since classes began in 1968.聽

For more information, visit the commencement .